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However, it turns out that Cockneys are not so crafty when it comes to keeping cars in a roadworthy condition, because drivers in London are the least knowledgeable in England about car maintenance.

But top of the table are dopey drivers in Northern Ireland, with motorists in Yorkshire being identified as the third most hopeless at keeping their cars roadworthy.

All of which begs the question 'how many motorists does it take to change a headlight?' It appears the answer would be ' probably more than one', because more than half of motorists don't even know how to perform this basic vehicle maintenance.

Almost a quarter (23%) think it’s legal to drive a car with the doors removed

Across the UK, drivers in Northern Ireland are the least knowledgeable about car maintenance. 1 in 3 Northern Irish drivers have knowingly driven a car that failed its MOT. Among drivers in Northern Ireland:

25% “never check their tyres”

75% don’t know to change their car’s headlights

Drivers in the East Midlands are the UK’s safest and most knowledgeable, followed by drivers in East Anglia and the North West.

Tim Alcock, Head of Online at Leasecar.uk, commented on the findings:

“The survey reveals a shocking lack of knowledge among British drivers about basic aspects of car maintenance and safety.

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“Not only is ignoring the basics dangerous, it’s also expensive. In the long run, those little problems get worse and turn into big ones, so failing to keep your car in decent shape will cost you both time and money.

“With a little more knowledge about car maintenance and safety, British drivers could save themselves a lot of money over the years.”

LeaseCar have answered the most commonly-asked questions about car maintenance and safety on their website. You can read those, along with more details about the survey results, here.